family favorite

My Aunt Carolyn is a fabulous cook. Fabulous. And she is famous for her incredible dinner rolls. They are tender and yeasty and sweet and buttery and fluffy and everything you want in an old fashioned American-style dinner roll. But better.

 We have spent Thanksgiving with our dear friends in Elkhart for the last 4 years, and every year now it's been my job to make these rolls. I like being a huge contribution to the feast, but I think it says more about the rolls than me;)

I've made them probably a hundred times now, and even if I can't seem to get them quite as good as when she makes them, I'm proud of the result. And with her permission, I'm sharing them with you today. And you might not ever make another dinner roll recipe ever again.

Carolyn's Dinner Rolls

makes 24 rolls

2-1/2 cups warm water (about 110°F)
1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cups powdered milk
1/3 cups butter, plus more for brushing on the pan and the rolls
3 tablespoons rapid rise yeast
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt
7~7-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1. Pour water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add powdered milk, sugar, and yeast. Mix with whisk attachment until combined. Let the yeast proof.
2. Add egg and cooled melted butter. Mix.
3. Switch to the dough hook attachment and add 5 C flour and mix for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides, and add salt. Beat for another 4-5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and very elastic. Add 1 more C of flour. As you beat the dough, continue adding flour a little at a time until the dough is still slightly sticky.
4. Cover and let stand until double it's size.
5. Punch down and divide into 2 equal parts.
6. Roll each part into a circle 18 inches in diameter. Brush with a thin layer of melted butter. Cut into 12 wedges. Place the wide part of the wedge closest to you, tuck in the sides, and roll. Place on a buttered baking sheet with the point of the rolled wedge down. Let rise in a warm place until double it's size. Place in a preheated 350°F oven and bake 10~12 minutes until golden brown. Brush with butter when done.

Sometimes I like to make these smaller, so on step 5 I'll cut it into 4 equal parts and follow the rest of the instructions the same. Baking time changes to about 8~10 minutes, but they are still a decent size. Enjoy!